Combined cut-out and lightning-arrester for telephone systems.



H. S. WHEATON. ND UGHTNING ARRESTER FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEM APPLICATION FILED Dh(;.15.1916.

COMBINED CUT-O UT A Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

wi'fncmca H. S. WHEATON.

COMBINED CUT-OUT AND LIGHTNING ARRESTER FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. APPLICATlDN FILED DEC-15. HHS.

1,236,024. Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suva/Mien UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY B. WHEA'ION, OF DALLAS, IOWA.

COMBINED CUT-OUTAND LIGHTNING-ARRESTER FOR, 'llilLElEKONE SYSTEMS.

Specification otLetters Patent. Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

Application med December 15, 1918. Serial No. 137,168.

lating material, to throw the Switch To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY S. WHEATON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Marion, State of Iowa, have invented anew and useful Com-' bined Gut-Out and Lightnin .-Arrest'er for Telephone Systems; and I' o hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in *the'art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved combined cutout and lightning arrester for telephone systems, and an object of the invention is to simplify, improve and render more practical, the combined cutout and lightning arrester, illustrated, described and claimed in the application filed May 3, 1916, Serial Number 95,137, which has matured into patentof January 16,1917, Patent Number 1,212,300.

A further object of thev invention is to provide asupporting plate, which may be constructed ofv any suitable material, preferably brass or the like, and provided with spring switch blades insulated frombelow said plate, there being resistance means above said plate and mounted. thereon, said switch blades being so in circuitwith the wiring of a local telephone system and the main line, whereby when said switch blades are separated, a lightning 'discharge'will be carried on either main linethrough the resistance means to said supporting plate, and thence to the ground- A further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for holding the carbon resistance plate on' said supporting plate.

A further objectof the invention is the provision of a lever having rollers of insuin contact with each other, there .bemg a spring for holding said lever in one position with said rollers out of contact with the switch plates, and a lugon the leverto limit the lever in said position.-

In practical fields,-the details of construction may necemitate. alterations fallingv within the scope-of whatis claimed. 1

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view 'm perspective of the plates invention, showing the same in circuit with the wiring of a locai telephone system and its main lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the cutout and lightning-arrester.

Fig. 3 is a sectional'view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4'4 of Fig. 2, showing. parts in plan and parts in section.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designatesa suitable supporting plate to be constructed preferably of brass or the like, and which is provided with suitable openings or apertures 2, for the reception of screws, whereby the plate may be securely fastened to a stationary support, not shown.

Arranged adjacent the under surface of said-plate is a pairof'insulati'ng blocks 3 and in one pair, and the blades 7 and 8 in the other pair, and the blades'of each pair are insulated from each other by the insulating strips 9. Suitable screws 10 pass through the supporting plate 1 through the insulating blocks 3 and 4, through the blades 5 and 7 the insulating-strips 9, and the blades 6 and 8, and provided withthumb screws 11, to hold the-parts together, there-beinginsulating tubes 12 surrounding said screws, thereby preventing 'short circuiting, and also insulating washers 13 between the thumb screws 11 and the switch plates 6 and 8.

Arranged on the top surface of the supporting. plate l-is an insulating plate 14, through which the screw 15 extends, with its head 16 engaging the under face of the plate-1. Disposed upon said insulating plate 14 is a pairofconductor or arrester plates 16 and 16, on which the mica strips 17 are disposed. Engaging the mica strips is a carbon resistance 18, and engaging the carbon plate is a metal plate 19, which is sub stantially the size ofthe carbon resistance plate 18, and is designed to protect, reinforce and hold the carbon plate in position.

The screw 15-also-passes upwardly through 16 and 16*, as shown at 21, are wires or leads 22 and 23, which pass through insulating tubes 24, which also pass through the supporting plate 1 and through one end of the insulating block 3, and are electrically connected at 25 to the switch plates 5 and 7. A binding post 26 is carried by the supporting plate 1 onits under face at one end, and connected to the binding post by the thumb nut 27 is a lead or wire 28, which is connected to the ground at 29, so that any lightning discharges which pass over the carbon plate 18 will be carried to the ground, thereby avoiding shocks. The supporting plate 1 atom end has a slot 30, and secured to the under face of said plate 1 is a metal plate 31, there being screws 32 for securing the plates together. The plate 31 is also provided with a slot 33 registering with the slot 30, and mounted in the slots 33 and 30, and on the pin 34'is a disk plate 35 having upwardly and downwardly extending diametrically disposed portions or projections 36 and 37. A handle 38 of any suitable construction is carried by the projection 36, and mounted in a bearing and extending transversely of the projection 37 is a suitable pin 39, on the end portions of which rollers 40 of any suitable insulating material are journaled. Nuts 41 are threaded on both ends of the pin 39, and between said nuts and said rollers are suitable washers 4.4, to hold the rollers in place. The edge of. the disk plate or lever 35 is provided with a rib 43, which is designed to engage the plate 31, and limit the lever 35 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. A spring 44 is connected at 45 to the lower part of the lever and has its other end connected at 46 to the supporting plate 1, to hold the lever in the full line position shown in Fig. 2. The portion 47 of the switch blades 6 and 8 are perfectly straight, and also the end portions 48 of the switch blades 5 and 7, excepting the extremities 49, which are curved downwardly and laterally to conform to and be engaged by the rollers 40, that is, when the lever 35 is disposed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby causing the end portions 48 of the switch blades 5 and 7 to contact with the extremities of the end portions 47 of the blades 6 and 8, thereby utting the main line in circuit with the loca telephone circuit. The main line wires or leads 50 and 51 from the contacts of the switch 52*, are connected to the switch blades or plates 5 and 7. Extending from one of the blades of the switch 52 is a wire or lead 52, which in turn is connected at 53 to the generator 54, from which a wire or lead 55 extends and is connected to the other blade ofthe switch 52. Also connected at 57 to the switch blade 7 is a Wire 58, which connects to the contact 74 of the receiver hook 74. Connected to the pivot 73 of the hook 74 is a wire 58*, which in turn connects to the telephone 59, there being a wire or lead 60 extending from the bell and connected at 61 to the switch blade 5. 'Electrically. connected at 62 to the switch blade 8 is a wire or lead 63 which is connected to the receiver 64,

there being a wire or lead 65 connecting the receiver 64 and the secondary coils 66, from .primary coils 71 is connected at a junction with the lead or wire 58. It is to be noted that when the receiver 64 is removed from the hook 74, a contact portion 75 of said hook is caused to engage the contact terminal 76 (from which a wire or lead 77 extends and is connected to the battery 78) by the action of the spring 79, in which case the local telephone circuit is closed for receiving and transmitting messages. A lead or wire 80 connects the battery 78 and the transmitter 69. When the lever 35 is disposed as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the

switch blades 5 and 7 are out of contact' with the switch blades 6 and 8. Therefore, should an electric discharge follow either one of the main line wires 50 or 51, the charge will pass over the wires or leads 22 and 23 to the arrestcr or conductor plates 16 and 16. The charge will are from either one of the plates 16 and 16 over its respective mica strip 17, and enter the carbon plate 18, travel the screw 15, then to the plate orsupport 1, over the lead or wire 28 to the ground, thereby arresting electrical charges.

Normally, the position of the lever 35 is as shown in Fi 2. The local tele hone is then disconnected from the rest 0 the service, but the receiver 64, when on the hook 74, makes it possible for the signal bell 59 to be rung by closing the switch 59 Current is then transmitted from the generator 54' (which is shown only for the purpose of indicating in general the electrical supply source) to the wires 52 to one blade of the switch 52", to the attendant contact of said blade, over the wire 50 of the switch blade or plate 5, over the wire 60 to the bell 59, over the wire 58 to the contact 73 across the hook 74 to the contact 7 4*, over the Wires 58 to the plate 7, over the wires 51 to the other contact of the switch 52*, and thence, to the generator, over the wire 55. The signal thus having been given,'the lever 35 is ,moved against the tension of its spring 44,

mitter circuit, by bringing in contact 76 and tion coil to the plates 6 and 8, from which it is transferred to the plates 5 and 7 and thence to the main lines. I In case a lightning discharge strikes either main line, it is transferred to either plate 5 or 7, over wires '23 or 25 to plates 16 and 16, arcing across the mica strip 17 to the carbon 18, over the metal plate 19 to the stud 15, from which it is transferred to the plate 1 and thence to the ground over wire 28, thus avoiding damage to the insulation of the local telephone.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is l. A combined cutout and lightning arrester, comprising a supporting plate, a pair of arrester conductor plates above the supporting plate and insulated therefrom, a resistance plate, mica strips between the resistance plate and the conductor plates, means for reinforcing and protecting said resistance plate, electrical connections between the resistance and the supporting plates, and an electrical ground connection for the supporting plate, and switch means in circuit with said conductor plates and 'a telephone circuit, whereby upon opening the switch means, any electrical charges Wlll be carried from the main line to the ground by way of the resistance plate.

2. A combined outlet and lightning arrester, comprising a supporting plate, a pair of arrester or conductor plates above the supporting plate and insulated therefrom, a resistance plate, mica strips between the resistance plate and the conductor plates, means for reinforcing and protecting said resistance plate, electrical connections between the resistance and the supporting plates, and an electrical ground connection for the supporting plate, and switch means in circuit with said conductor plates and a telephone circuit, whereby upon opening the switch means, any electrical charges will be carried from the main line to the ground by Way of the resistance plate, said switch means comprising switch blades arranged in pairs, and in circuit with the telephone circuit, one end of a blade of each pair being yieldable and depressible in contact with its cooperating blade of its respective pair, and a lever havlng insulating rollers for depressing said yieldable ends in cooperation with their cooperating blades, a spring for holding a lever in a position whereby said blades may be disconnected, a lug carried by the lever to limit the same when moved out of contact with the yieldable ends, and insulating means between the blades of each pair.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. HARRY S. WHEATON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. NOBLE, JOHN Smvn. 

